Chapter 259
While packing up the clothes and bedding, Zhou Ger looked towards the courtyard. "Mother, the grain and corn haven't finished drying yet. What should we do?"
Aunt Liu was putting away the bowls and chopsticks. Worried they might break from the jostling on the road, she went outside to wrap them in straw. She was silent for a moment upon hearing this, then said, "Bring it all along. Otherwise, when we get to Yuanzhou, Zhao Ger will have to spend money to buy it, and the grain sold outside is expensive."
Merchants bought grain from them at low prices and sold it at high prices. The Liu family didn't have much land, so their harvested grain only filled a few sacks. In previous years, after drying it and paying taxes, what remained wouldn't even last them two months.
Aunt Liu thought it over. The grain was already half-dry now. Once brought to Yuanzhou, with several families sharing, it would be finished in less than a month. It would be fine if it wasn't completely dry.
She didn't plan to pay this year's autumn tax with grain. She had already sent silver to the village chief's house, asking him to hand it over on her behalf when the tax collector came.
Unless there was a major drought or flood, the harvest from the fields usually didn't vary much.
While on the road delivering vegetables to Zuixiao Restaurant, Zhou Ger found Yang Mingyi and asked him if it would be possible to give this task to Du Xiaodu's family.
During the New Year, Yang Mingyi had gone to the Fang family for a meal, and Wu Ger had helped out in the kitchen. They were all acquaintances, so there was no reason to refuse.
Wu Ger's child was already older. Old Madam Du could carry him on her back while working in the fields. Growing vegetables wasn't particularly strenuous work, and with the added incentive of earning silver, she worked with inexhaustible energy, watering the vegetables every single day.
Watering vegetable seedlings frequently not only made them grow faster but also made them tenderer and taste better.
When the Zhou family found out about this, they were furious. Although Fang Zichen was no longer in the village, they didn't dare make a scene. Yuanzhou wasn't too far from the village. If they caused any trouble, Zhou Ger could simply send word through the village chief, and Fang Zichen would probably come straight for them in the dead of night. So the Zhou family could only curse endlessly in their own yard, constantly muttering that Zhou Ger was ungrateful.
In the past, they didn't give the task to the Zhou family because the Liu family needed to make a living too. But now, even though the Liu family had found a better way and were moving to Yuanzhou, they still didn't give this job to the Zhou family. If that wasn't ungrateful, nothing was.
The neighbors who heard this secretly shook their heads.
One couldn't say Zhou Ger was ungrateful. If the Zhou family hadn't come to the Liu family's door causing trouble back then, and hadn't said those hurtful words, given the Liu family's and Zhou Ger's nature, they would surely have thought of their own relatives when something good came up.
They had no one to blame but themselves.
Since Zhao Ger was busy at the shop, he could only ask Fang Zichen to handle finding a house for Zhou Ger.
Fang Zichen was in the room making paintbrushes. Upon hearing this, he didn't even look up.
"Send Liu Xiaowen!"
Liu Xiaowen was right there. For something like this, there was no reason for Fang Zichen to run around doing it himself. After all, these people weren't just staying for a few days—they needed a place for the long term, so it was important to find somewhere that truly suited them. Liu Xiaowen was their son and husband; he knew their preferences best. If he went and picked something they didn't like, it would only cause problems later.
Zhao Ger was nibbling a popsicle, sitting beside him. "Xiaowen can't go."
Before he could finish, Fang Zichen was already displeased.
"Why can't he go? It's not like he's going to eat shit. It's hot weather—are you feeling sorry for him?"
Zhao Ger was momentarily stunned. Seeing Fang Zichen staring at him with wide, bulging eyes, he realized what was happening and couldn't help but laugh.
"Did you drink vinegar today? You're this sour?"
Fang Zichen snorted, glancing sideways at him. "If the vinegar wasn't strong, you'd be the one crying. I only act like this because I'm crazy about you. If I acted this way towards someone else, someone here would probably be scratching the walls in anxiety."
Zhao Ger was pleased to hear this. He got up, sat on Fang Zichen's lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck. His mouth was cold from the popsicle, his lips frozen red. When he kissed Fang Zichen's cheek, the cold sensation quickly faded, but Fang Zichen's body reacted instinctively, warming up to chase away the chill.
He felt his blood boiling and surging. Seeing that Zhao Ger stopped after just one kiss, he put down his work and pinched Zhao Ger's waist.
"You kiss once and then stop? That's all you've got? If you've got the skill, give me a few more?"
Zhao Ger chuckled, burying his face in Fang Zichen's neck. "So how many kisses count as having skill?"
"If you kiss me until I can't tell north from south, east from west, then I'll say you've got skill." Fang Zichen leaned back in his chair. "Come on, ravage me! Don't show me any tenderness or pity!" He pointed at his left cheek. "Go all out right here, come on, baby."
Zhao Ger smiled brightly, cupped his face, and kissed him. After they had fooled around enough, he lay on Fang Zichen's chest and said, "Xiaowen can't go because I'm afraid if he goes, he might not come back."
He explained Liu Xiaowen's previous situation, and even Fang Zichen was left speechless.
This guy is definitely a talent!
Yuanzhou was well-connected, with small alleys twisting and turning in every direction. As Zhao Ger said, if Liu Xiaowen went out, he might just take off and end up in the capital again.
Fang Zichen sighed.
"I'll take him with me. With me there, there's no way he'll get lost."
Zhao Ger: "Mm, that works."
Fang Zichen left with Liu Xiaowen, going back to the same property agent they had used before.
Normally, business coming to the door would be something to celebrate. But seeing Fang Zichen this time, the agent's expression was troubled, yet also a bit happy.
After Zhao Ger opened his shop, the agent had gone to check it out. The place was doing such brisk business that "doorway like a marketplace" wouldn't be an overstatement.
These past few days, the names of the popsicles, duck necks, and pickled phoenix feet had spread throughout Yuanzhou city. And this guy still had the nerve to say the shop's feng shui was bad.
The agent felt he had been fooled, but when he heard that the person renting his shop was a xiucai, he didn't dare confront him.
He sent someone to investigate carefully. Oh—it turned out to be the top candidate from the previous academy exam. The agent was secretly pleased.
Originally, he thought he had to swallow this loss in silence. But now it was different. If this xiucai advanced in the future and became some high official, then this shop of his would be something to brag about. Thinking of it that way, it didn't seem like such a loss anymore.
Now that the man had come to him, it must be either to buy servants or to find another house.
He had to stay alert and not get fooled again.
Hearing they wanted to rent a house, the agent immediately took Fang Zichen and Liu Xiaowen to see several properties. They were all two-room places, all located on Xiangling Street, but not on the main road—they were behind the shops.
Properties facing the main road had storefronts suitable for business and were expensive. The residences behind were cramped and crowded, some surrounded by high walls, with poor lighting and walls covered in moss.
Liu Xiaowen had no special requirements, only that it be cheap enough, not leaky or drafty, and have a place to rest at night.
Guaizai had already gone to school, and Liu Xiaowen also thought that when Liuliu arrived, planned to find an academy for him.
Since education was expensive, he wanted to save money wherever possible.
After looking at several places, they all seemed more or less the same.
After all, it was a rental—intentional damage would have to be compensated—so previous tenants had been careful. Fang Zichen asked Liu Xiaowen for his opinion, and Liu Xiaowen told him to decide.
In the end, Fang Zichen chose the place closest to their own shop. It had two rooms plus a main hall, which could be modified later for Liuliu to live in. The lighting was also good—at least bright. Unlike the previous places, which were surrounded by walls, so even at noon, the rooms were pitch dark when the door was opened.
This place was priced at nine hundred copper coins a month.
When Liu Xiaowen heard the agent's quote, his eyes widened.
Was Fang Zichen the type to just pay whatever price was asked?
Absolutely not!
He immediately started bargaining with the man. "You're not being sincere! Lower the price a bit!"
The agent slapped his thigh. "Oh! Fang Xiucai, I'm really not making anything from this price."
"Who are you trying to fool?" Fang Zichen said.
Liu Xiaowen watched as the two went back and forth, arguing heatedly. At first, Fang Zichen always seemed so refined and elegant. Liu Xiaowen hadn't known him long and was still a bit afraid of him, feeling they weren't on the same level, that there was a gap. But seeing him bargaining so vigorously now, with a skill that would put even the village's most frugal person to shame, Liu Xiaowen suddenly felt that this man wasn't so different from himself after all.
Fang Zichen had come prepared, bringing his own 'refreshments'. When his mouth went dry, he gulped down a few mouthfuls and then resumed his verbal battle with the agent. The agent, completely unprepared, was now parched and hoarse.
He wanted to just turn and leave, to hell with this deal, but Fang Zichen clamped down on his shoulder and smiled at him.
He didn't say anything, but the agent always felt his unspoken words were: 'Dare to take one step? Try it. Try it and you're done for.'
Given Fang Zichen's status, the agent really couldn't just walk away easily.
The agent wouldn't budge, hoping Fang Zichen would back down first. But after nearly two hours of back-and-forth bargaining that resembled a shouting match, the agent finally relented.
What else could he do?
Unless he wanted to die, he probably wouldn't be able to leave this place today anyway.
In the end, the deal was struck at six hundred and fifty copper coins a month.
Fang Zichen signed the contract with him. Liu Xiaowen was still penniless at the moment, so Fang Zichen advanced the payment for two months, then contentedly led the way back.
As luck would have it, no sooner had the house been rented than Aunt Liu's family arrived the next afternoon. The cold treats at the shop had just sold out, and business was winding down.
He Xi had come by along the way, delivering chili peppers—four large stacked hemp sacks, probably weighing several hundred catties. Added to the Liu family's big and small bundles, the old ox was panting heavily from exhaustion.
Zhao Ger happened to be at the entrance and saw them. He quickly hurried over to welcome them.
"Uncle Zhao." Liuliu jumped down from the cart and ran towards Zhao Ger.
Zhao Ger patted his head. "You're here? Was the journey hard?"
Of course, it was hard.
The midday sun was scorching and hot. Last time, Fang Zichen had brought mung bean cakes to relieve the heat, but the Liu family only had a gourd of water and a few steamed buns. Moreover, the village chief drove the ox cart steadily, afraid of tiring the ox, so he didn't rush at all. He Xi, a young man, drove his ox like he was racing.
He was used to riding like that and didn't think much of it, plus he was careless. The four Liu family members, some old and some young, were jostled so much they felt their bones coming apart. Finally, Uncle Liu couldn't take it anymore and told him to slow down.
Zhao Ger welcomed them into the house. Liu Xiaowen was in the courtyard plucking duck feathers. Hearing the commotion, he looked up, and his eyes instantly reddened.
"Father, Mother, Zhou Ger~"
Aunt Liu wiped her eyes, hardly daring to believe it. "Xiaowen?"
Liu Xiaowen stood up, a duck feather still in his hand. Seeing his mother so weathered and aged that she was nearly unrecognizable, tears streamed down his face. "It's me, Mother."
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